Liquid dispenser

ABSTRACT

A device for dispensing liquid into cans moving along a straight path. A rotating reservoir holds liquid at a desired head pressure, and has spaced peripheral bottom outlets. A pair of chains is joined together by a series of vertical rods and driven by sprockets along a horizontal path, part of which parallels the can path, the chains and reservoir being driven in synchronization. Valve carriages are slidable up and down, each on a pair of the rods, and each carriage supports a valve housing that is connected by a conduit to a reservoir outlet. A valve closure member in each housing has a ferromagnetic upper portion. Each carriage has a lever which holds the carriage up to a desired height only when in contact with a can. A cam track is engaged by a follower for each carriage for elevating the carriage and valve from a normal lower position to an upper position, and a star wheel near this track synchronizes the valves with the cans, so that each valve accompanies a can for a predetermined distance along the straight path. An electromagnet above the can line opens and holds open each valve that is held up by a can engaging its lever.

United States Patent Pinto et al.

[451 Feb. 22, 1972 [54] LIQUID DISPENSER [72] lnventors: Peter J. Pinto, Union City; Donald M. King, Alameda; Roy B. McCarthy, San

Leandro, all of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Leslie Salt Co., San Francisco, Calif.

[22] Filed: Sept. 14, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 71,660

52 0.5.01 ..141/141,141/1s1 [51] ..B65b 57/06 [58] FieldofSearch ..l4l/135, 138,140,141, 144-147,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,530,755 11/1950 Bingham ..l4l/135X 2,660,356 11/1953 Rowekamp.... ...14l/l35X 2,949,941 8/1960 Mojonnier ..14l/l41 3,168,225 2/1965 Mi1lereta1..... ...l41/l57X 3,570,558 3/1971 Lachaussee ..141/l46X Primary ExaminerEdward J. Earls Attorney-Owen, Wickersham & Erickson 13 A3 13 l l I {1 11 Y so 32 31 L. .22 I: -i-

2O a2'1 2O 3 25 21 T J I 63 41 grunt 1 ABSTRACT A device for dispensing liquid into cans moving along a straight path. A rotating reservoir holds liquid at a desired head pressure, and has spaced peripheral bottom outlets. A pair of chains is joined together by a series of vertical rods and driven by sprockets along a horizontal path, part of which parallels the can path, the chains and reservoir being driven in synchronization. Valve carriages are slidable up and down, each on a pair of the rods, and each carriage supports a valve housing that is connected by a conduit to a reservoir outlet. A valve closure member in each housing has a ferromagnetic upper portion. Each carriage has a lever which holds the carriage up to a desired height only when in contact with a can. A cam track is engaged by a follower for each carriage for elevating the carriage and valve from a normal lower position to an upper position, and a star wheel near this track synchronizes the valves with the cans, so that each valve accompanies a can for a predetermined distance along the straight path. An electromagnet above the can line opens and holds open each valve that is held up by a can engaging its lever.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZZ I972 3.643 705 sum 2 or 5 T lq 42 EL} 37 15 n ill.

INVENTOR.

PETER J. PINTO DONALD M. KING ROY B. MCCARTHY dam. MM m.

AT TOR NEYS PATENTEUFEB22 I972 3.643.705

SHEET u F x A \IiiHMI'iHEmWHIiii INVENTOR.

PETER J. PINTO DONALD M KING ROY B. Mc CARTHY,

AT TORNEYS PATENTEBFEB 22 1912 SHEET 5 BF 5 INV ENTOR. PETER J. PINTO m5 mm @M DONALD M. KNG ROY B. MCCARTHY 0w. (l/M M ATTORNEYS on 1 mv lllll LIQUID DISPENSER This invention relates to a liquid dispenser for use in canning.

In canning operations, very high speeds are desirable, so as to get much production from a single can line instead of having to set up plural can lines with a multiple of the expenses involved. However, a very fast-moving can line makes certain filling operations difficult. When a liquid is to be added to the can, it takes finite time for the liquid to flow from its dispenser into the can. When the can passes a stationary dispenser, this time lag becomes very important indeed, for only a very small charge of liquid can be injected, sometimes forcibly, and the forcible injection tends to agitate what is in the can and sometimes spurts liquid out of the can.

The present invention provides a novel way of adding liquids into cans that are moving at high speed. The basic idea is to have the filler dispenser nozzle aligned with the cans and to accompany the cans along a straight path while dispensing liquid for a distance and time sufficient to insure adequate filling. The length of the path depends, of course, on the desired speed of the cans and on the amount of liquid to be put into each can, together with the practicalities of how much of an opening the nozzle can have and the means for opening and closing the nozzle to let the fluid flow through and to stop it off after a desired quantity has been dispensed. The dispenser of this invention is of the type that puts into the can a predetermined amount and determines that amount at the nozzle itself, rather than being of the type which fills the can to overflowing. For example, it may be used to add some brine or salt solution to a can which may already have fruit, vegetables, soup, or something else in it. The amount to be added is determined by the flller dispenser, and the amount added is placed in very quickly, efficiently, and accurately by having the dispensing nozzle continue with the can while the nozzle is open.

Another important feature of the invention is its no-can, nofill device. When any place in the line lacks a can to be filled, the nozzle does not waste its liquid. While no-can, no-fill provisions are not new in themselves, the one of this invention is different and new.

The invention has in combination a rotating storage receptacle for the liquid to be dispensed and a series of outlet tubes leading from this storage receptacle to a series of valve nozzles. Each valve is carried by a carriage that can move vertically up and down and is supported on standards that themselves are joined both to an upper chain and a lower chain, which move together around an oblong path with straight sides. When not pushed upwardly or held upwardly, the carriage and its valve drop down low. As it leaves the cans, each valve carriage does drop low, and as it approaches a new can for delivery, it rides up a cam track to an upper position, high enough to fill the can. If there is a can in the path, this elevation is maintained by the can engaging a lever that holds the carriage up. When its carriage is held up over a can, the valve is acted on by an electromagnetic device that opens the valve and dispenses fluid. However, if the can is not there, the carriage drops down, and the electromagnetic device is unable to open that valve, so that there is no solution lost. The pairing of each nozzle with a can may be done with the assistance of a star wheel beside the line of cans. During filling, each valve nozzle moves along the can line with its can, in a rectilinear manner; the electromagnetic device opens the valve for a predetermined time and then lets the valve close; then the valve leaves the can line.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a can liquid dispenser located beside a can line, taken along the line l1 in FIG. 3. In broken lines, a few of the cans and part of the can line are shown.

FIG. 2 is a view in end elevation looking from the right-hand side of FIG. 1, being taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1. Again, the cans are shown in broken lines. A portion of the drive mechanism is broken off to save space.

FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation looking at the opposite side from FIG. 1 and is taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the cam track for the nozzle valve carriage.

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the cam track of FIG. 5v

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in elevation and partly in section of the left-hand end portion of FIG. 1, showing one of the nozzle valves raised up in position on the cam track before being presented to the line ofcans. while another one has been presented to the line of cans, the can being shown in phantom. and its valve has been opened by an electromagnetic valve opening device.

FIG. 8 is a view taken at right angles to FIG. 7 and showing two alternate positions of the nozzle valve, that is, in broken lines, the no can, no-fill position and, in solid lines, the can-fill position.

A rotatable reservoir 10 holds a supply of the liquid to be dispensed. If desired, a replenishing service line may come in from above and add liquid into this reservoir 10. The reservoir 10 is mounted on a rotatable shaft 11, and during operation of the device, the reservoir 10 is constantly rotated while being kept in synchronization rotationally with the valves, as will be explained. A series of flexible tubes I2 lead from outlets l3 spaced evenly'around the bottom 14 of the reservoir 10, near its periphery; each of the tubes 12 carries liquid down to a separate rigid vertical tube 15, each tube 15 being connected to a separate valve housing 20. This means that the liquid in the reservoir 10 always fills the tubes 12 and 15, and there is a head of liquid at a standard pressure above the valve housing 20.

Each of the plurality of identical valve housings 20 is supported by a carriage 21, which may be a generally blocklike member having two, preferably cylindrical, openings 18 and 19. A generally horizontal portion 22 of the valve housing 20 extends outwardly, and a cavity 23 (see FIG. 7) is connected by an inlet 24 to the rigid tube 15. At the bottom of eachcavity 23 is a generally conical opening 25, and inside the cavity 23 is a movable valve plug 26 having a conical closure portion 27 at the bottom, which may be made from plastic, and having a ferromagnetic portion 28 thereabove. An electromagnet 30 is used to open the valves by exerting attraction on the ferromagnetic member 28 to lift the plug 26 Lip (see FIG. 7). Hence, the remainder of the valve 20 is made of plastic or of some non-ferromagnetic metal.

A pair of rods 31 and 32 the same shape as the openings 18 and 19 extend through each carriage 21, and each rod 31, 32 is secured at its lower end to a lower chain 33 and at its upper end to an upper chain 34. The two chains 33 and 34 are each provided with a pair of sprockets 35, 36 and 37, 38, one at each end, to guide their path, so that they have at each end a semicircular path, and in between the two semicircular paths they have rectilinear paths. One of these rectilinear paths is so arranged as to overlie a can line 40 where the cans 41 move rectilinearly. The sprockets 36 and 38 may be idle sprockets mounted on an idling shaft 39, and the other sprockets 35 and 37 are drive sprockets secured to a shaft 42; the shaft 42 is provided with two additional sprocket wheels 43 and 44. The center shaft 11 is also provided with a sprocket wheel 45, and a chain 46 connects the sprockets 44 and 45 so that the chains 33 and 34 and the reservoir 10 move at the same angular velocity, the center shaft 11 and the sprocket shaft 42 being rotated at the same angular velocity. The drive may be put into either one of these shafts but preferably it is put into the sprocket shaft 42 and transmitted to the center shaft 11. Thus, a drive means, which may be any sort of suitable motor 50 provided with a drive shaft 51 and a sprocket wheel 52, drives a chain 53 that drives the sprocket wheel 43 on the shaft 42, to drive the chains 33 and 34 and the shaft 11. The shaft 51 carries another sprocket wheel 54 for driving a chain 55 that engages a sprocket wheel 56 to drive a shaft 57. The shaft 57 rotates a star wheel 60, which engages the cans 41 and is used to synchronize the speed of the cans 41 to the speed of the chains 33 and 34.

The star wheel 60 is synchronized with the valve housings 20, so that each valve housing 20, as it moves around the star wheel 60 overlies one of the pockets 61 of the star wheel 60. This means that each valve 20 will be aligned with the can 41 as it comes to the can line 40, and this synchronization is kept up, not only by maintaining the cans 41 at a speed roughly identical to that of the chains 33 and 34, but also by a plurality of projecting guard members 62 secured to the lower chain 33 and adapted to prevent the cans 41 from getting ahead of or falling behind the valve 20 as it moves along the filling path 41.

The valve carriage 21 tends to fall along the support rods 31 and 32 to a lower limit, and therefore the valve 20 tends to fall to the low position shown at the right of FIG. 2 and in the middle parts of FIG. 4. This is an inactive position of the valve 20, and the valves 20 in these positions are so low that if they went around the entire circuit that way, they would not lie above the cans 41 but would strike them, and the electromagnet 30 would not attract the plug portion 28 by enough force to open the valve. However, at the right-hand end of FIG. 4 and the left-hand end of FIG. 1 and in FlG. 7 may be seen a cam track 63 which engages a cam track follower 64 on the valve carriage 21 and raises the valve carriage 21 and housing 20 to a desired level above the top of the cans 41. The cam track 63 is shown in plan in FIG. and in elevation in FIG. 6, and it will be seen that a sloping segment 65 raises the carriage 21 up to a desired level and then a horizontal portion 66 holds it at that horizontal position as the valve turns the star wheel end of the dispenser.

The carriage 21 carries with it a lever member '70 (see FlGS. 7 and 8, especially) which is pivotally mounted in a slot 71 on a horizontal pin 72 below a surface 73 of the carriage 21. When the lever 70 is in a substantially vertical position (see FIG. 8) an upper surface 74 engages the surface 73; and a lower surface 75 on its outboard end rests on the chain 33; thus positioned, the lever 70 holds the carriage 21 up and therefore holds the valve 20 up in position. However, when the lever 70 is not held vertical, a counterweight 76 on an upper part thereof causes it to swing out, carrying the surface 75 beyond the chain 33, and then the carriage 21 falls down until stopped by engagement of the lever's surface 77 on the chain 33 (FIG. 8). Thus, the roller or cam follower 64 is used to raise the carriage 21, but once the cam track 63 ends, what holds the carriage up in place is the force of a can 41 against a pad 78 on the outboard end of this lever 70. If there is no can 41 at that position in the star wheel pocket 61, then the lever 70 is free to swing out, and the carriage 21 falls, as does the valve 20.

Aligned with the star wheel 61 and close to it is the electromagnet which extends along above the path 40 in a rectilinear manner, so that if a valve 20 is put upjust below the electromagnet 30, the plug 28 is raised and the valve is opened. In other words, at that height, the ferromagnetic member 28 comes under the influence of the electromagnetic field, and the valve stays open until the electromagnetic field ends at the end of the electromagnet 30. Thus, if there is a can 41 in place, the weight of the can 41, which is usually partially filled at least at this point, exerts force on the lever 70 and holds the carriage 21 up. With the carriage 21 held up, the electromagnetic 30 can exert the needed force on the valve member 28 and hold the valve open. If there is no can 41 there, the carriage 21 drops, the valve 20 remains unopened, and there is no filling and no loss of the liquid.

At the end of the can line 41, where the chains 33 and 34 move around the sprockets and 37, a knob 80 on the back of the carriage 21 engages a screw 81, which lifts it and then drops it, to release the lever 70. This is shown in FIG. 8, where the raised position, as well as the fallen position, is shown in broken lines.

Thus, in operation the dispensing valves 20 are raised up by 5 the cam track 63 and held up by the cam lever 70. The valves 20 are synchronized with the star wheel 60, which synchronizes them with the cans 41, and if a can 41 is in place, the can 41 holds the lever 70 down and so holds the carriage 21 up, and the valve member 28 comes under the influence of the electromagnet 30 along the straight path and dispenses fluid into the can 41 while traveling with the can 41. The distance can be any desired. At the end of the fill, the electromagnet 30 ends, and the valve 20 is therefore closed.

The operation is timed and worked out to provide the desired amount of time for dispensing fluid and therefore to give the desired amount of fluid. The head being constant, this is rather simple to do, knowing the length of the magnet 30 and the size of the opening 25, so that there is a definite time relation, once the speed is determined, and that is, of course, carefully determined by the drive. If there is no can 41, the lever 70 is not held in and the carriage 21 falls, carrying valve 20 down with it, and there is no dispensing. As the device leaves the electromagnet 30, the valves 20 leave the line 40 and as they leave the line, there being no pressure from the can 41, they fall down after being lifted up by the screw 81 and remain there until raised again by engagement of the roller 64 with the cam track 63.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

We claim:

1. A liquid dispensing device for use with a line of cans moving along a path, including in combination rotatable liquid reservoir means for holding liquid at a desired head pressure, said reservoir means having a plurality ofoutlets at spaced intervals,

movable support means supporting a series of vertical members,

drive means for moving said support means and said reservoir means in synchronism with each other around closed 7 paths, with one portion of said support means lying adjacent the path of said can line,

a plurality of valve carriages mounted individually slidably vertically on said vertical members, each said valve carriage having a cam follower and carrying a nonferromagnetic valve housing having a bottom valve opening.

a plurality of conduits joining each outlet from said reservoir means to a said valve housing,

a valve closure member in each said valve housing, having a ferromagnetic upper portion,

a cam track engaged by said cam follower for elevating said carriage from a lower position to an upper position,

holding means supported by said carriage for serving when engaged by a can to hold said carriage up to said upper position and otherwise to let the carriage drop,

means for aligning each said valve housing with a can in said line when a can is present in said line, and

an electromagnet vertically above the can line path at a height such that when the valve housing is held in said upper position by a can engaging said holding means, said electromagnet moves said valve closure member up to a valve opening position and maintains it there while the valve housing traverses the length of the electromagnet.

2. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said movable support means comprises an upper chain and a lower 7 chain joined together by said series of vertical members.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said drive means comprises a pair of sprockets for each chain at each end of a desired, path, and

drive means for one sprocket of each said chain and for said reservoir means for synchronizing their motion together.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises a lever pivotally attached adjacent said carriage.

5. The device of claim 1 having a star wheel at one end of said device adjacent said cam track for engaging the cans, said star wheel being related so that each pocket thereof is centered with respect to a said valve.

6. A liquid dispensing device for use with a line of cans moving along a straight line path, including in combination a rotating liquid reservoir for holding liquid at a desired head pressure, said reservoir having a plurality of outlets at spaced intervals,

a pair of chains comprising an upper chain and a lower chain joined together by a series of rods that extend vertically,

a pair of sprockets for each chain at each end of a desired path,

drive means for one sprocket of each said chain and for said reservoir for synchronizing their motion together,

a plurality of valve carriages, mounted slidably vertically on said rods, each having a projecting cam roller extending therefrom,

a valve housing having a bottom valve opening supported by said carriage,

a plurality of conduits joining each outlet from said reservoir to a said valve housing,

a valve closure member in each said housing having a ferromagnetic upper portion,

a cam track engaged by said cam roller for elevating said carriage from a lower position to an upper position,

a lever pivotally attached to each said carriage and adapted when engaged by a can to hold said carriage in said upper position and when not engaged to let the carriage drop down, carrying the valve down with it,

a star wheel at one end of said dispensing device adjacent said cam track for engaging the cans, said star wheel being related so that each pocket thereof is centered with respect to a said valve, and

an electromagnet vertically above the can line at a height such that when each valve is held up in position by pressure being exerted on the lever by a can, said electromagnet opens said valve by lifting said valve closure member and maintains it open as it traverses the length of the electromagnet. 

1. A liquid dispensing device for use with a line of cans moving along a path, including in combination rotatable liquid reservoir means for holding liquid at a desired head pressure, said reservoir means having a plurality of outlets at spaced intervals, movable support means supporting a series of vertical members, drive means for moving said support means and said reservoir means in synchronism with each other around closed paths, with one portion of said support means lying adjacent the path of said can line, a plurality of valve carriages mounted individually slidably vertically on said vertical members, each said valve carriage having a cam follower and carrying a nonferromagnetic valve housing having a bottom valve opening, a plurality of conduits joining each outlet from said reservoir means to a said valve housing, a valve closure member in each said valve housing, having a ferromagnetic upper portion, a cam track engaged by said cam follower for elevating said carriage from a lower position to an upper position, holding means supported by said carriage for serving when engaged by a can to hold said carriage up to said upper position and otherwise to let the carriage drop, means for aligning each said valve housing with a can in said line when a can is present in said line, and an electromagnet vertically above the can line path at a height such that when the valve housing is held in said upper position by a can engaging said holding means, said electromagnet moves said valve closure member up to a valve opening position and maintains it there while the valve housing traverses the length of the electromagnet.
 2. The liquid dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said movable support means comprises an upper chain and a lower chain joined together by said series of vertical members.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said drive means comprises a pair of sprockets for each chain at each end of a desired, path, and drive means for one sprocket of each said chain and for said reservoir means for synchronizing their motion together.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises a lever pivotally attached adjacent said carriage.
 5. The device of claim 1 having a star wheel at one end of said device adjacent said cam track for engaging the cans, said star wheel being related so that each pocket thereof is centered with respect to a said valve.
 6. A liquid dispensing device for use with a line of cans moving along a straight line path, including in combination a rotating liquid reservoir for holding liquid at a desired head pressure, said reservoir having a plurality of outlets at spaced intervals, a pair of chains comprising an upper chain and a lower chain joined together by a series of rods that extend vertically, a pair of sprockets for each chain at each end of a desired path, drive means for one sprocket of each said chain and for said reservoir for synchronizing their motion together, a plurality of valve carriages, mounted slidably vertically on said rods, each having a projecting cam roller extending therefrom, a valve housing having a bottom valve opening supported by said carriage, a plurality of conduits joining each outlet from said reservoir to a said valve housing, a valve closure member in each said housing having a ferromagnetic upper portion, a cam track engaged by said cam roller for elevating said carriage from a lower position to an upper position, a lever pivotally attached to each said carriage and adapted when engaged by a can to hold said carriage in said Upper position and when not engaged to let the carriage drop down, carrying the valve down with it, a star wheel at one end of said dispensing device adjacent said cam track for engaging the cans, said star wheel being related so that each pocket thereof is centered with respect to a said valve, and an electromagnet vertically above the can line at a height such that when each valve is held up in position by pressure being exerted on the lever by a can, said electromagnet opens said valve by lifting said valve closure member and maintains it open as it traverses the length of the electromagnet. 